A total of 2,000 historical/cultural monuments are in the process of being restored, announced the head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO)

According to IRNA, Ali-Asghar Mounesan further said, "Good steps have been taken in this area and that the government has extended special support. We now have about one million historical sites in the country, which need to be preserved and restored permanently."

Turning to the tourism projects, Mounesan, who is also a vice president, stated, "The ICHHTO is not the implementer of these projects, but it is directing the restoration process."

He stated that over 1,980 tourism projects are under implementation in the country with private sector investment. This is to make the private and public sectors more involved in implementing cultural tourism programs, he noted.

The official added that the government seeks to restore historical monuments using state budget while creating jobs for the people.

On the number of foreign tourists visiting Iran, he said that from the beginning of April to mid-December 2018, the number of foreign tourists coming to Iran exceeded six million whereas 5.1 million foreign tourists were registered during the same period of 2017.